Matt of All Trades blog, like the title suggests, is by a Vermont author and offers offbeat musings on pop culture, media, journalism, humor, weirdness, stupid people, smart people, my life as a journalist, landscaper, photographer, married gay man, dog lover and weather geek and more. It's run by me, Matt Sutkoski, a native Vermonter living in St. Albans, Vt.

Friday, May 26, 2017

You Can't Get Two Same-Flavor Scoops of Ben & Jerry's In Australia Until There's Same Sex Marriage

Do you want two scoops of the same flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney or anywhere else in Australia?

You're out of luck, at least for now.

Australia is struggling with the question to allow same-sex marraige (the country is behind the times on this issue).

Activists there are bucking for same-sex marriage, and the reason for the Ben & Jerry's ban is part of that effort.

NBC News saysthat Ben & Jerry's declared that "love comes in all flavors" and in protest of Australia's lack of same sex marriage, they're banning ice cream cones with one flavor of ice cream.

You want two scoops? You must have two flavors.

Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's said the point of the scoop protest is to get people to imagine "how furious you would be if you were told you were not allowed to marry the person you love.So, we are banning two scoops of the same flavor and encouragig our fans to contact their MPs to tell them that the time has come - make marriage equality equal."

For the uninitiated, "MP" stands for "member of parliament."

Polls indicate a majority of Australians support same sex marriage.

NBC said last November, the national Senate rejected a national referendum on same-sex marriage. Both liberals and sympathetic conservatives said the vote would have been just a delaying tactic.

Parliament could just change the law and allow same sex marriage.

The Ben & Jerry's scoop protest won't have a huge impact: There are only 26 Bem & Jerry's outlets in the entire country of Australia.